On this week's edition of "The Hal Lindsey Report," the leader of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan told Al Jazeera that if they can ever get their hands on Pakistan's nuclear weapons, they WILL use them against the United States.

The leader of North Korea doesn't want to be out-threatened by al-Qaeda, so Kim Jong-il said that if the U.S. or any of its cronies attempts to interfere with his nation's 'activities,' he may just launch a missile toward Hawaii. That threat's a little more disturbing because we know that Kim Jong-il does have missiles and he may have nuclear bombs. He's tested a couple of nuclear devices in the last few months and he's also tested some long range missiles and some ICBM's. He says he's going to test another ICBM in the next few days. As a precaution, Defense Secretary Gates is moving some anti-missile protection to Hawaii.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is making some threats of his own. He says he's going to release 700 Hamas terrorists that are currently being held in PA prisons. He's upset that President Obama hasn't forced Israel to remove the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. Also, he wants to let Hamas know that he's ready to make nice again and restart their friendship. But the move may backfire since it shows the Quartet and the West that the Palestinians only keep their commitments when they're getting their own way.

I can't remember the last time I agreed with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about anything. As you know, he and I don't usually see eye-to-eye. Until now. He recently wrote a letter to President Obama setting him straight on some of his misconceptions and misinformation about Israel. You'll be surprised at what you hear. I was.

The post-election turmoil continues in Iran. Ayatollah Khameini says that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won reelection. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians disagree. The government admits that there were voting 'irregularities', but only in about 50 cities, not the 170 claimed by the opposition. The government is brutal in its crackdown on the protesters, but they've not backed down thus far.

One young Iranian has paid the ultimate price, though. Neda Soltan, a beautiful, young philosophy student was killed by the bullets of a police or paramilitary sniper. Her shocking death was caught on video by a bystander. It was uploaded to the internet and exploded around the world. Now, demonstrators as far away as New York and Los Angeles have made her the face of this revolution. They call her the "Angel of Freedom."

Finally, though there's still a whole lot of shakin' going on and it looks like major changes may be in store for the mullahs in Tehran, we know that both Iran and Israel will emerge from their current troubles intact. The prophet Ezekiel predicts that Iran will survive to join an Islamic coalition led by Russia in an invasion of Israel. And Ezekiel hasn't been wrong yet.

On this week's edition of "The Hal Lindsey Report," in recognition of our nation's birthday, I'm offering a 'Fourth of July Meditation.' I'm calling it, "Does the Flag Still Wave?"

Everyone recognizes that the United States of America is now the world's only superpower. Its economy is the engine that drives the world. Even in our difficult times, it is still the cornerstone on which the global economy rests.

Twice in one century, the United States saved Europe, and the rest of the world, from the domination of tyrants. Later, America drove the Soviet Empire into the ground and, in so doing, secured freedom for untold millions of citizens and scores of nations.

No matter your politics or what label you attach to your beliefs, it is undeniable that, to this day, America remains the last, best hope of the world's oppressed.

Yet the United States of America exists in the shadow of an uncertainty. Have you ever thought about the fact that even our National Anthem acknowledges that it is possible to forfeit or lose the magnificent heritage that is the United States of America? When Francis Scott Key penned the words to The Star Spangled Banner, he ended the first verse (which is the one customarily performed as our nation's official anthem) with a question: "O' say does that star spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Whether he was being prophetic or simply poetic is not important. His inclusion of that question rightly implies that America's great freedom and promise cannot be taken for granted. It came into existence through the great courage and sacrifice of our forebears. It can fade from existence through the antipathy and apathy of its current citizens.

That's why so many of our Founding Fathers found it imperative to insist that the form of government they established can only prosper if the citizenry is predominantly Judeo-Christian. They minced no words when they proclaimed that our democracy can only succeed if it remains founded on the principles of Christianity and respectful of its Judeo-Christian roots.

Yet, today as no time in our history, those very roots and principles are under ferocious attack. It's as if major elements of society have hoisted their axes, determined to chop away at the roots of our democracy until the magnificent tree of American freedom shivers and falls.

That's why there is no time to lose. As Christians and patriots, we must seek God's mercy for our faltering nation. The forces of darkness have succeeded in marshaling their greatest assault yet. And the speed with which recent changes have weakened the basic foundations of our society is nothing compared to what we may see in the coming months. If we are to see our nation saved, we must earnestly call out to God, repent of our sins as a nation, and humble ourselves before Him.

What better time to begin that renewal than on the 232nd anniversary of the birth of our beloved nation.

Israel may no longer need a green light from Washington to launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. According to a report in London's Sunday Times, Saudi Arabia has agreed to let Israeli aircraft circumvent US-controlled airspace in Iraq by flying over the oil-rich kingdom.

The report claimed that the head of the Israeli Mossad, Meir Dagan, met with top Saudi officials last week and secured tacit approval for an Israeli overflight. The source that leaked the information said the Saudis recognized that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear arms was for them, too, a top national security interest.

An Israeli government official interviewed by Army Radio later in the day complained that if such an agreement did exist, clearly whoever leaked it to the media did not want Israel to be able to use Saudi airspace, since the publication of the deal would cause the Saudis to publicly deny any cooperation with the Jewish state.

In related news, a diplomatic source in New York told Ha'aretz at the weekend that the Obama Administration is working hard behind the scenes to prevent the enactment of additional economic sanctions against Iran at the G8 summit next week.

The official said Washington believes harsher sanctions will only backfire, and prefers to continue easing pressure on the Islamic Republic.

Many factors are now converging to indicate that Israel is at long last about to attack Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities.

* Factor 1: President Obama's plan to draw Iran into an arms-length working relationship to help the U.S. establish stable governments in Iraq and Afghanistan and to restrain terrorist activities in the region have clearly been dashed. If there was ever any hope of that plan working, it was clearly rejected by the Ayatollahs and Ahmadinejad when they smashed the popular rebellion of citizens over the rigged Presidential election. If Obama had any plans to force Iran to abandon their headlong pursuit of producing nuclear weapons, it was clearly rejected by the current Iranian leadership. The Obama administration has indicated by its failure to act against both Iran and North Korea's flagrant violations of U.N. warnings that it has no intention of taking the only option left to stop Iran - military action.

* Factor 2: In the light of this, the Saudi and Egyptian leaders now recognize that the U.S. has no plan to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program. They, along with other Muslim Middle East oil producing nations realize that their futures are in great peril if Iran goes nuclear and becomes the dominant Muslim power in the world. A former head of research in Israeli intelligence said, "The Saudis are very concerned about an Iranian nuclear bomb, even more that the Israelis."

So it appears that The Saudis and Egyptians have adopted a strategic principle from Muhammad - "the enemy of my enemy is my friend!"

Referring to a leak from a ‘diplomatic source', The London Sunday Times reported that Saudi officials have agreed in secret talks with Mossad Chief Meir Dagan to turn a blind eye to Israeli planes if they fly over kingdom to attack Iranian nuclear sites.

In any Muslim secret understanding with Israel, it is understood that they must always have public "deniability". And as soon as the Sunday Times reported this leak, the denials from the Saudis, Egyptians and Israel were predictably immediate.

* Factor 3: Another factor that indicates that an Israeli attack on Iran is imminent was revealed on July 3rd. DEBKAfile gave a special report on an Israeli Dolphin class submarine's move from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal. This was ostensibly done to take part in naval maneuvers in the Eilat-Red Sea area. This submarine has the ability to launch advanced nuclear-armed cruise missiles through its torpedo tubes. This is a necessary capability for any future attack against Iran's nuclear facilities. It could not only launch a second strike, but also be used to pick up downed Israeli airmen. For this submarine to move through the Suez Canal required Egyptian approval. And once again, Egypt denied any such thing took place, even though there are pictures of the sub moving through the canal.

* Factor 4: In a startling interview by ABC's George Stephanoupolos of VP Joseph Biden, a tacit "green light" seems to have been telegraphed to Israel that the U.S. will not interfere with any future attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. During the interview, Mr. Biden said, "Look, Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation - what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else."

* Factor 5: The most important factor to me is that according to many Bible prophecies about the "last days" reborn State of Israel, it cannot be destroyed. The Messiah will return to a hopelessly surrounded Israeli State and miraculously deliver it. He will then take Israel's believing remnant and turn the state into the center of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth for a thousand years. If Iran gets nuclear weapons, as reported in another article on this report, It could and would destroy Israel in seconds.

Major powers meeting in Italy have given Iran until September to accept negotiations, but were vague about the possible consequences if it failed to do so.

Western countries believe Iran is trying to build an atomic bomb. Tehran says it developing nuclear technology to generate electricity and has so far rejected all overtures for talks.

There has been constant speculation that Israel might attack Iran to try to destroy its nuclear installations, with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden saying earlier this week that Israel had a sovereign right to decide what were its best interests.

Sarkozy urged against any military action.

"A unilateral attack (by Israel) would be an absolute catastrophe," he told reporters during the annual summit of the Group of Eight rich nations.

"Israel should know that it is not alone and should follow what is going on calmly," he said, adding that he had not received any assurances that Israel would hold off on any action ahead of the September deadline.

Sarkozy said patience with Iran was running thin.

"For the past 6 years we have extended our hand saying stop your nuclear armament program ... Do they want discussions or don't they want them? If they don't, there will be sanctions," he told reporters.

Russia blocked Western countries at the G8 from immediately pushing for further sanctions.

I think we would be in trouble to stretch into another fight no matter where it is. We are too thin as it is. An invasion here in the US mainland would be one the armed US citizens would have to take a good bite out of.

I think we would be in trouble to stretch into another fight no matter where it is. We are too thin as it is. An invasion here in the US mainland would be one the armed US citizens would have to take a good bite out of.

my thoughts exactly!!!!our boys are being put through the wrinnger!
they come back from deployment just so they can be redeployed elswhere!!
somtimes with little break in between
although thats our millitarys role to be ready for deployment
it gets damn tiring!!!